“…it is fitting that every American should reflect upon the vision and fortitude of our forebears in creating a charter designed ‘to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty’ for themselves and for the fortunate millions who were to follow them as citizens of this Nation.”
– Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, Proclamation 3151 – Constitution Week, 1956
CULLMAN, Ala. – On Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, Mayor Woody Jacobs proclaimed the week of Sept. 17-23, 2022, “Constitution Week” in the City of Cullman. On-hand from the Dripping Springs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to accept the proclamation from Jacobs were Athelia Gibbs, Pat Kahler, Cathy Martin-Shallal, Rhonda Van Zandt, Linda Kuykendall and Linda Schgier.
Created in 1787 and consisting of 4,400 words (4,543 including signatures), the U.S. Constitution is the shortest and longest-surviving written Constitution of any major government in the world. Sept. 17, 2022, marks the 235th anniversary of the signing of this document.
In 1787, over the course of less than four months, a diverse group of men ranging in age from 26 to 81 devised a document that established our federal government with three equal branches of government and a system of checks and balances among those branches, divided power between the federal government and the states, and continues to protect the individual liberties of its citizens.
“It is vital that everyone reads and understands the U.S. Constitution,” said Jacobs. “The wonderful ladies of the DAR, along with other groups, such as the Liberty Learning Foundation, help preserve the history of our country and ensure that future generations understand what the Constitution is and what it means.”
Constitution Week was started many years ago by the Daughters of the DAR. In 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was adopted by U.S. Congress and signed into Public Law no. 915 on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The purpose of Constitution Week is to emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution in order to preserve it for posterity; to inform the people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life; and, to encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution.
“During ‘Constitution Week,’ I urge our citizens to read the Constitution again and to learn more about how and why it was created,” said Jacobs.
To read the Constitution and other founding documents, or to find out more about the documents and the history of the United States, visit www.archives.gov or ask a DAR member.
To find out more about DAR, visit www.dar.org.
